China supports Palestinians, gives $1m aid

A Palestinian envoy says China has expressed support to the Palestinians in their conflict with Israel and bid to upgrade their status at the United Nations, and is giving them $1 million in aid.

Bassam al-Salhi told reporters following talks Friday in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi that China supported "stopping any kind of aggression from the Israelis against the Palestinian people."

The talks follow Gaza's first day of calm after the fiercest fighting in years between Israel and Hamas militants. A cease-fire on Wednesday ended eight days of airstrikes and artillery attacks by Israel and rocket attacks by Palestinian militants that killed 161 Palestinians and five Israelis.

China has increasingly played a more active diplomatic role in the Middle East.